Splice-joint for railway-rails



(No Model.) 2 sheets-sheen. A1. W. B. DODDRIDGE. SPLIGE JOINT FORRAILWAY RAILS.

Pntlented May 26, 1896.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. B. DODDRIDGB.

SPLICE JOINT FORRAILWAY RAILS.

No. 560,897. Patented May, 1896.V

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VUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM B. DODDRIDGE, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

SPLlCE-JOINT FOR RAILWAY-RAILS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 560,897, dated May 26,1896.

Application filed October 17, 1395. Serial No. 565,952. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that LWILLIAM B. DoDDEIDeE, a citizen of the United States,residing at St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements iu Splice-Joints for Railway-Rails; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvementsin splice-joints for railway-rails,and more particularly to that class of such joints in which thesupporting and locking mechanism is applied to the rails at a pointbetween the ties to form a suspension-joint.

It is well known that the ordinary splicejoint fastenings areobjectionable for the reason that they necessitate the formation ofnumerous bolt-holes through the web or girder of the rails and throughthe splice-bars, thus weakening these parts Where strength is mostdesired, and for the further reason that the nuts employed in connectionwith the transverse bolts are loosened by the jar of travel andfrequently displaced, thus impairing the joint. To obvia-te thesedefects, certain forms of clamps have been devised, which extend belowthe base of the rails and upwardly on either side thereof to embrace thegirder or web of the rail and the splice-bars.

My invention consists in an improved construction of trussed clamp andmeans coacting therewith for effecting a secure joining of the ends ofthe railsvwithout the use of bolts, nuts, springs, or other mechanicaldevices,which are expensive in initial cost and liable to injury ordisplacement when subjected to the wear and tear of service.

In the accompanying. drawings, forming part of this specification,Figure 1 is a side elevation of a railway splice-joint embodying myimprovements. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a transversesection, and Fig. 4c shows a side view and an end view of the splitlockingkey hereinafter referred to.

The numerals 1 and 2 indicate the rails secured upon the ties 3, so thattheir ends meet between the ties.

The splice-bars 4 and 5 are arranged as shown, one on either side of thejoint, and preferably with their ends 6 and 7 resting upon the ties 3,to which they are secured by spikes 8. Each of these splice-bars isangled in cross-section and consists of a vertical por tion 9, having abeveled upper edge 10 to fit snugly under the flanged head or tread ofthe rail, and an inclined base 11, resting upon the base of the rail, asclearly illustrated in Fig. 3, and extending beyond the foot of the railand provided with a depending edge flange l2,which rests upon the bottomof the clamp 13. This clamp is preferably a single steel casting, havinga horizontal base 14 to receive the foot of the rail and the edgeilanges 12 of the splice-bars, and upwardly-extending sides 15 and 16,that embrace the splicebars 4: and 5. The clamp is also provided with areinforcingrib 17, extending entirely around the baseand sides thereofat a central point and serving to brace and strengthen the jointtransversely.

The inner face of the side 15 of the clamp conforms to the contour ofthe splice bar against which it rests, having the inclined inner face 18to rest upon the upper surface of the base 11 of the splice-bar, andthen rising vertically to iit snugly against the outer face of thevertical portion 9 of the splice-bar.

The opposite side 16 of the clamp rises vertically froin the base to apoint 19 `near its upper edge, where it extends inwardly toward theadjacent splice-bar. The inner face of the side 16 is grooved orhollowed out longitudinally to form a seat 2O for the lockingwedge 21,and is also formed with a short inclined inner face 22 to rest upon theupper surface of the base 11 of the splice-bar 5..

The locking-pin 21 is tapering in form and at its smaller end 23 issplit longitudinally to form a locking-arm 24E. The recess 2O intheclamp may be slightly shallower at one end than at the other andgradually deepen to constitute, in connection with the outer face of thesplice-bar, a wedge-shaped seat lfor the pin 21. In Figs. 3 and 4 thepeculiar construction of this locking-pin is illustrated. Its outer side25 is of convexforin to fit the seat 2O of the clamp, while its innerside 26 is a plane surface corresponding to the outer face of thesplice-bar against which it rests. The application of the parts abovedescribed will be apparent. After the clamp 13 is adj usted upon themeeting ends of the rails the IOO splice-bars are forced into place andsecured to the ties by the spikes 8. The key orlockin g-pin is thenapplied and firmly driven into its seat, the -locking-arm 24 being bentoutwardly to the position shown in Figs. l and 2 by the insertion of asuitable tool into the slit 27 during the driving of the key to place.It will be observed that my improved clamp and wedge key are applicableto the ordinary angle splice-bars in common use and no alteration ormodification of either the rails or bars is required.

The split key is easily applied and serves to firmly clamp the bars tothe rails, and the whole constitutes a strong and durable joint. It'desired, the ends of the splice-bars may be further secured by bolts 28,as shown in Fig. 1.

IIaving fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a suspension splice-joint for railwayrails, the combination withthe rails and overlapping splice-bars, of a clamp comprising a base toreceive the foot of the rails, and the base-flanges of the angledsplice-bars, said clamp having upwardly-extending sides embracing thebars, one of said sides extending inwardly and upwardly to conform tothe contour of one of the bars and the other being concaved on its innerface, and projecting inwardly over and in contact with the upper surfaceof the base-flange of the other bar and a split wedge or key adapted tobe driven into said seat to clamp the parts; substantially as described.

2. In a suspension splice-joint for railwayrails, the combination withthe rails and the overlapping splice-bars, of a clamp comprising a baseupon which the rails and baseflan ges of the bars rest, andupwardly-extending sides 15 and 16, the side l5 conforming to thecontour of the splice-bar on one side of the joint, andextendinginwardly and upwardly to rest upon the base and vertical portion of saidbar and the side 16 being provided with the longitudinal groove orrecess 20, and having an inward projection below said recess, saidprojection resting upon the upper surface of the base-liange of theadjacent splice-bar and a split key or wedge tapering lengthwise andhaving on one side a plane face 26 conforming to the contour of thesplice-bar in the opposite side of the joint, its opposite side 25 beingconvex to adapt it to Iit the concave seat 2O of the clamp,substantially as described.

3. A suspension-joint for railway-rails, consistin g of the combinationwith rails the ends of which meet between two ties, of splice-barsoverlapping and joining the rail ends, and secured at their respectiveends to the ties by spikes, a clamp comprising a base extending underthe rails and upwardly-proj ectin g sides embracing the splice-bars, oneof said sides conforming to the contour of the bar on that side of thejoint, and the otherbeing grooved or recessed on its inner side, andprojecting inwardly over and in contact with the upper surface of thebase-flange of the adjacent bar and a split key or wedge taperinglengthwise and having a flat inner face, and a rounded or convex outerface, the clamp being provided with the central reinforcing-rib 17extending entirely around its bottom and sides; substantially asdescribed.

4. A clamp for railway splice-j oints consisting of a single castinghaving a horizontal base, a vertical side 15, having a plain inner faceto iit against the splice-bar on one side of the joint, and a verticalside 16, the latter having the longitudinal groove or recess 2O on itsinner face, and having an inward proj ection below said recess, saidprojection resting upon the upper surface of the base-flange of theadjacent splice-bar and a central reinforcing-rib I7 extending aroundthe bottom and sides of the clamp, in combination with a key taperinglengthwise and split at its smaller end to form a locking-arm 24, saidkey being provided with a plane inner face 2G to 'Iit against thesplice-bar on the opposite side of the joint, and a convex outer face tofit the groove or recess 20; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two wituessses.

WILLIAM B. DODDRIDGE.

Vitnesses:

EDWARD F. GOTHA, FRANK W. IRLAND.

